We are delighted to announce that Stephen Leckie of the Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Family Business Steward Inspirational Leadership Champion of Innovation Stephen is the Chairman and CEO of the Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels, an exemplary leader and passionately committed to the hospitality and tourism sector. He has been the leader of 4 star Crieff Hydro since January 1994 which according to independent guide ‘Scotland the Best’ is referred to as “a national institution and still a family business…moving with the times…uniquely good in the world.” Their Family of Hotels started out with Crieff Hydro, Scotland’s leading Leisure Resort. With 215 4 star bedrooms; 55 self catering units, free childcare, 7 food outlets and over 60 indoor and outdoor leisure activities spread out over their 900 acre estate. Now 8 hotels, Stephen’s team of over 1,000 look after up to 3,000 customers a day for business and leisure with warmth and character. Dedicated to growing and sustaining the business – their future is tied up with the success of the towns and regions where they operate and the wider tourism industry. Stephen is a passionate promoter of all three so volunteer leadership across these sectors and geographies. He is a voice for hospitality and a great family business advocate and ambassador. His attention to detail, drive, passion and determination is incredible and he is so deserving of a place in our inaugural Family Business Top 100.

We are delighted to announce that Iain Stirling of Arbikie has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Inspirational Leadership Next Generation Champion of Change & Innovation Arbikie Estate is a family-owned working farm perched on the east coast of Angus; here crop is king. They painstakingly plant, sow, tend and harvest the fields that make up Arbikie. They are craftsmen of the soil. This is an estate profoundly shaped by its environment: the red sandstone-tinted soil, the powerful sea and the turbulent weather give Arbikie a character found nowhere else. And here, situated where land meets sea, sits their distillery – created from an ancient barn, it is a place with all the ingredients required to produce authentic spirits of the highest quality. The Stirling family has been farming at Arbikie for four generations. From father to son, they have gained an intuitive understanding of the land; sowing and harvesting the crops that now create Arbikie’s range of field to bottle spirits. Farming in the Stirling family goes back even further – since 1660, initially on the west coast. Their lands passed through seven generations until great uncle Bill moved to Lunan Bay on the east coast of Angus in the 1920’s. He then passed it to the grandfather of the current generation, John, who then passed the land over to their father, Alec Stirling, who expanded the acreage. Brothers John, Iain and David are the visionaries and driving force behind the Arbikie Distillery. As with all farming families, the brothers grew up working around the farm, and it is this hands-on experience that gave them a deep understanding and respect for the land. Despite pursuing careers away from farming, they have always stayed attached to the family lands – and now with the opening and growth of the Arbikie Highland Estate distillery, they have returned to drive this exciting and continually evolving venture. Iain is a pioneer and great ambassador for Arbikie, promoting the brand around the world and embracing their story as part of the brand. Their pioneering pursuit and adoption of best practice is remarkable and driven from top down leadership and Iain is a key component of this drive, determination and passion. Iain is undoubtedly worthy of his inclusion in the Family Business Top 100.

We are delighted to announce that Grant Georgiades of Plan Insurance has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Inspirational Leader Sustainable Development Ambassador Champion of Change & Innovation Family Business Steward As far as Grant is concerned, ‘you might not be a ‘Georgiades’ & he might be the Managing Director, yet he treats everyone the same & he makes everyone feel part of the ‘Plan Family’ whilst being a strong champion for change & innovation and always pushing to develop & innovate the business and the people working within it. As a leader, Grant actively encourages staff to better themselves, which at times can be a detriment as staff leave to follow other paths. But, in his own words he reconciles this investment as “The ones that learn & stay add extra skills & when it comes to the ones that learn & leave, Plan have helped create a better future for them so either way, it is a great outcome.” Grant is an inspirational leader and has created a team that is driving Plan forward, investing in new business opportunities and setting their course for the future and he is well deserving of his place in the Family Business Top 100.

We are delighted to announce that Jacqueline O’Donovan of O’Donovan Waste Management has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Inspirational Leader Champion of Change & Innovation Jacqueline is an undisputed leader and disruptor in the male-led construction-industry, passionately advocating for road-safety, environment and best-practice, she champions improved standards, resulting in a safer and more responsible sector. She is recognised as an innovator and a keen advocate of sustainable operations as well as encouraging diversity and inclusion. She is one of only two female students to earn the world’s first Master’s Degree in Demolition Management. She has received numerous accolades for her work and holds numerous respected fellowships and affiliations with professional organisations and bodies in the sector. She has highlighted the need for construction to be involved in improving road safety and reducing emissions. Collaborating with industry bodies and Mayors, she has worked to change the face of transport policy in the UK, playing a pivotal role working with HGV manufacturers to redesign lorry-cabs, resulting in the current safer direct-vision designs. She is a great family business ambassador, full of pride and passion for the business and truly deserves her place in the Family Business Top 100.

We are delighted to announce that Rich Clothier of Wyke Farms has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Champion of Change & Innovation Inspirational Leader Sustainable Development Ambassador Multi-Generational Family Business Leader Rich Clothier is a third-generation family member and the Managing Director at Wyke Farms. His family have been making award- winning cheddar on their Somerset farm since 1861. Since Rich took the lead, the Wyke Farms brand has grown consistently by over 10% year on year and increased distribution to more than 160 countries worldwide. Rich has been pivotal in propelling Wyke Farms to become one of the leading South West food businesses and instigated an on-site biogas plant some 12 years ago, which is the cornerstone to Wyke Farms 100% Green mission. Wyke Farms has since been named as the most sustainable business in Europe. The company employs 250 people directly across three sites and works with 1500 other businesses across the region and nationally. The family run company treats the team as extended family; 15% of the Wyke Farms work force also have a relative working in the business and over one third of employees (34%) have been with the company for over 10 years. Rich is an inspirational leader with family values at the core of the family firm and he truly deserves his place in the Family Business Top 100.

We are delighted to announce that Arfan Mohammed of the Watch Exchange London has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Champion of Change & Innovation Multi-Generational Family Business Leader Next Generation Member Family Business Steward Arfan Mohammed has worked tirelessly for many years to build up the family watch trading business from scratch, setting up in Hatton Garden well over a decade ago and recently moving The Watch Exchange London (watch buying) and DWL (retail) sister companies to Mayfair’s exclusive Burlington Arcade. Sharing the business and his considerable knowledge with nephew Danny Shahid and his brother, Arfan is a renowned watch historian and over the years has traded numerous luxury timepieces. Arfan is adept at anticipating investment trends because of his intricate knowledge of the watch market. He is often asked for his expert opinion by fellow jewellers and retailers because his judgement is so highly regarded in the trade and in its new location in the heart of Mayfair, the family business is going from strength to strength.

We are delighted to announce that Nick Douch Of Douch Family Funeral Directors and the Dorset Funeral Plan has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Inspirational Leader Champion of Change & Innovation Multi-Generational Family Business Leader Nick is the third generation to run the firm which began as a furniture shop and grew into a chain before pivoting into funerals. In recent years it added the award-winning Dorset Funeral Plan. Nick oversees numerous branches in east Dorset and manages to maintain the traditions while embracing modern technology. As well as buying existing businesses, the firm has launched its own from scratch and has invested heavily in rebuilding two of its large premises. The Covid crisis was a huge test, but the branches and the staff were nimble enough to come through with an enhanced reputation – and it all came from the top.

We are delighted to announce that Heather Matthews of Little’s Chauffeur Drive has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Inspirational Leader Champion of Change & Innovation Multi-Generational Family Business Leader Little’s Chauffeur Drive provide a high-end chauffeur drive service to the corporate and leisure markets globally. The company is headquartered in Glasgow and is led by Heather Matthews, the daughter of founder George Wills who established the business in 1966. As the 2nd generation leader of the family business, Heather has a very personal investment in the success and future of Little’s. She demonstrates an uncompromising determination to provide the highest level of service, use innovation in the business, develop a high performing team & significantly grow the company’s turnover. Heather has shown tenacity, resilience and strong leadership to navigate the business through the COVID-19 pandemic & she has used her team and network to shape decision-making to make the business sustainable for the future. As a leader she was the driving force behind the delivery of chauffeur services to the COP26 conference – the largest event in the company’s history, and supporting other major sporting and business events in Scotland and beyond. Her inspirational leadership style has helped to create an incredible family business culture and her drive and determination is the key to the ongoing success of the business and she is truly deserving of her place in the Family Business Top 100.

We are delighted to announce that Becky Valentine of Spenbeck has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Sustainable Development Ambassador Spenbeck is a second-generation business expertly led by Becky and her sister. Becky executes her role with precision, using the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to drive Spenbeck’s published sustainability policy, with clearly defined targets ensuring public accountability. Lauded by the CIM as an early adopter of using sustainability for competitive advantage, Becky has positioned Spenbeck as a market leader in heritage eco-office provision, supporting SMEs’ B Corp and ESG aspirations through innovative actions. She is committed to empowering, motivating, and inspiring SMEs and family businesses to embed sustainability within their operations and planning. Becky’s expertise is also highly sought after for blogs, vlogs, and webinars on how to successfully apply the SDGs in an SME setting. She was also headhunted by the UN Global Compact UK Network to join their COP 26 regional closing panel. Inspirational and innovative in her approach, Becky thoroughly deserves to be included in the Family Business Top 100.

We are delighted to announce that Clive Atkins of Atkins Accountants Ltd has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Multi-Generational Family Business Leader Clive built up the business himself from nothing. Having gained experience in one of the big four firms, and in smaller practices, he was able to create a practice with the best of the both – small firm care and attention with big firm quality. Clive’s wife, Rosemary has a history in finance and retired after 28 years working in a housing company, where she was the assistant director of finance. She then started working within Atkins Accountants, instilling the family value in the practice. Clive and Rosemary have five children, three of whom are working and assisting in the running of the business, ready to take on when Clive retires. They have all gained accounting qualifications & manage staff and help develop the practice. Clive has two managers who have worked with him for over 35 years each, who are like family themselves, and have watched the children grow up and now work well aside them. Clive has built a unique family environment, where it is a pleasure to work and is inspirational in the way that he has developed and grown the business to where it is today and thoroughly deserves his place in the Family Business Top 100.

We are delighted to announce that Gareth Loye of M&M Contractors (EUROPE) Ltd has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Champion of Change & Innovation Multi-Generational Family Business Leader Next Generation Inspirational Leader M&M Contractors is a family business trading for over 40 years and they have firmly established themselves as a recognised leader in utilities infrastructure. CEO, Gareth Loye, took the helm in 2011 from father, Noel applying boundless enthusiasm to expand the business on a vast scale. Gareth has been an instrumental leader of the business and the driver of significant growth since taking the lead. M&M are principal contractor to a number of significant brands and Gareth has been key to driving the business forward and thoroughly deserves his place in the Family Business Top 100.

We are delighted to announce that William Roberts of Roberts Mart & Co Ltd has been included within the inaugural Family Business United ‘Family Business Top 100,’ which recognises the exceptional contribution of individuals and their work within a family business. Recognition in respect of: Champion of Change & Innovation Multi-Generational Family Business leader Roberts Mart is a sixth-generation family-run business in Yorkshire and is now an award-winning leader in the field of printed flexible packaging. Today it’s led by William Roberts, Managing Director. Roberts Mart’s achievements have been recognised in the food and drink packaging sector where it has won numerous global awards for technical innovation and manufacturing printed flexible packaging for blue-chip brands. However, its innovations and accolades would count for nothing without the skilled and loyal staff to implement them. William believes wholeheartedly in family values and as part of its community management strategy the company has the desire and ability to attract and retain talent from local communities. Several successive generations of employees’ families have contributed to its success. As a strong leader making a real contribution to the ongoing evolution of the family business, William is truly deserving of his place in the Family Business Top 100.